Today, a new Scientific Statement was issued by the Endocrine Society, tying known endocrine-disrupting bisphenol A (BPA) to both obesity AND diabetes -- not to mention a host of other serious medical conditions like breast and ovarian cancer. The statement urges experts to look for ways to eliminate our exposure to BPA, as well as find ways to educate the public about its dangers.

And here's where those sinister store receipts come in.

Thermal receipt paper (which turns dark when scratched) is often coated with BPA as a developer. A large amount can be transferred to your hands and absorbed rapidly into the body, mimicking, blocking, or wreaking general havoc with your body's natural hormones, and potentially altering the way your cells grow. Which isn't surprising considering that BPA was first developed as an artificial estrogen supplement. (Insert about a thousand exclamation and question marks here. Did NO scientist consider the ramifications of using BPA on objects we touch daily?!)

In recent years, more and more evidence has come out, basically concluding "WTF? BPA is some creepy s**t!" But not much has been done to ban the stuff, and now, nearly every person on EARTH has been exposed to the endocrine-disrupting chemical.